Sattvic Foods to Make Your Diet More Yogic
14th Sep 2022 | Author - Antaranga Ray
Sattvic Foods to Make Your Diet More Yogic
As the saying goes, “we are what we eat''. The food we eat everyday has a profound influence not only on our bodies, but also on our minds and souls. Regular yoga practices may help you build a strong core and a toned physique, but it is even more crucial to consider what we are putting into our bodies.
This is where we talk about the yogic diet, a traditional diet that emphasizes nourishing your body with nutritious foods while also practicing mindful eating. The purpose of the yogic or Sattvic diet is to develop sattva, or spiritual harmony, which energizes and heals the body.
Defining Sattvic Food
There are three fundamental Gunas—Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva—according to Vedic culture, each of which has a distinct quality that characterizes everything that exists. Rajas denotes activity, whereas Tamas denotes dullness. Certain meals are categorized as tamasic because they leave us feeling dull after eating them. Certain foods—known as rajasics—charge our nervous system and increase activity. The moderate and balanced route of sattva denotes food that neither dulls you down nor causes you to become overly restless and agitated.The Sanskrit term "Sattva," which signifies powerful, pure, and clean energy, is the root of the word "Sattvic." According to the Chhandogya Upanishad, “?h?ra ?huddhau sattva ?huddhi?”, which implies that eating Sattvic meals cleanses the mind and makes it a part of our pure awareness. Food affects not just an individual's mental process but also his or her actions. The food that a person consumes has a direct impact on one‘s thoughts, personality, mental well-being, and health.
3 Aspects of Ayurvedic Dietary Regimen:
1. Sattvic Food: Purity, good health, peace, and contentment
2. Rajasic Food: Agitation, restlessness, unrest, and tension
3. Tamasic Food: Lethargy, idleness, and fatigue
Sattvic diets are predominantly plant-based and emphasize organic, whole, natural fruits, veggies, pulses, nuts, seeds, and grains cultivated in harmony with nature. Sattvic meals are often sweet, fresh, light, nutritious, and fragrant, and when eaten, they produce sensations of satisfaction, joy, and positivity. Sattvic meals help to maintain the body fit and healthy while also keeping the mind active and focused.
Rajasic meals stimulate the nervous system and lead to physical and emotional stress. Tamasic foods are impure, putrid, or stale and cause physiological, psychological, emotional, and spiritual weariness and lethargy. Small amounts of Tamasic and Rajasic foods are acceptable, but eating too much Tamasic or Rajasic foods can undermine your efforts to include more Sattvic foods into your diet.
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Benefits of Sattvic Foods:
Not just Yogis, but anyone can adopt the Sattvic way of eating because of the enormous benefits which are listed below;
1. Enhances the Immune System
Raw fruit and vegetable salads make up about 40% of the Sattvic diet. All the essential nutrients, dietary fiber, antioxidants, proteins, minerals, and monounsaturated fats are provided by eating natural, fresh foods. Consistent adherence to this diet improves immunity and results in a stronger immune system.
2. Promotes Mental and Physical Harmony
A healthy diet gives both the body and the mind energy, tranquility, and enjoyment. The abundance of goodness in a Sattvic diet helps to keep the body and mind in harmony.
3. Prevents Chronic Medical Conditions
When following a Sattvic diet, you avoid fried, processed, canned, and other items. The Sattvic diet is full of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, which helps to avoid several chronic diseases.
4. Elevates the Digestive System
When consumed fresh, fruits and vegetables retain the most fiber, nutrients, and minerals, which are typically lost when cooked. Because the diet is high in fiber, this facilitates easy digestion.
5. Aids in Weight Loss
Sattvic foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, contain minimal carbohydrates and calories but are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. It provides you a satiated sensation, which keeps you from munching before your next meal.
6. Detoxifies the Body
A Sattvic diet will effectively cleanse your body if you frequently experience bloating, headaches, skin problems, lethargy, acne, or nausea. Yoga, along with a Sattvic diet, will help detoxify your body.
When making a lifestyle adjustment, it is important that you do not create any unnecessary hype or set unrealistic goals for yourselves. Instead, concentrate on eating basic, fresh foods that are easy to digest and are the best fit for you. You need to pay attention to how food affects your body, mind, and heart, and adjust your diets accordingly. With mindfulness and care, you will discover the Sattvic meals that are most efficient at fostering long-term inner contentment both on and off the yoga mat.
